Michel and Ellen Shane lost their 13-year-old daughter Emily in 2010 when she was struck and killed on Pacific Coast Highway while walking on the side of the road. The couple found an outlet for their sadness and has been able to allow Emily to live on through the Emily Shane Foundation.
One facet of the Emily Shane Foundation is the Successful Educational Achievement (SEA) program. SEA provides tutoring, mentoring and support to students who are not receiving the attention they need to succeed throughout middle school. They are either failing, or at risk of failing.
In the wake of the loss of their daughter, the couple wanted to find a way to connect to children who faced some of the same challenges that Emily did.
“I wanted to do something to honor Emily and remember her,” Ellen said. “I thought, ‘What was important to her?’ She had a hard time in the classroom.”
The SEA program operates out of local schools, including Malibu High and Middle School. They also work on three campuses in both Oxnard and Santa Monica, and one campus in South LA.
Michel and Ellen focus their attention on middle school students who are often overlooked when it comes to receiving aid from schools. Because of the unique setting at MHS, the program has provided support to students in both high and middle schools.
These are students who do not have learning disabilities, but have difficulties completing school assignments and tests. SEA helps to change the attitude in students and helps them find motivation to succeed.
Students in the SEA program usually meet with a university-aged mentor twice a week for an hour each session.
“I’ve found students have comfort working with someone closer to their own age,” Ellen shared. Mentors are trained to work on everything with the students, from organizational to study skills, helping provide them with a complete package to find educational success.